More On The Success of Fast Loading Websites

November 24th, 2006

I covered Marissa Mayer’s talk at the Web 2.0 Summit that focused on how Google has really learned the value of speed in their web applications. It seems as if there was much more said about this topic years back when everyone was on dialup modems. However, Chris Beasley at the Website Publisher Blog talks about his quest for a quicker loading site and the positive effect it’s had on his forum registrations. He’s essentially seen a tripling of monthly registrations since doing tweaks and investing in a powerful server.

That seems extremely worthwhile. Even though many of us are on fast connections now, quicker sites are still noticeable, and I think they provide a better experience for users, maybe even at a subconscious level. It’s a good reminder to keep working at making your site as quick to load as possible. Of course this is something Fred Wilson is consciously choosing to ignore, but it’s his blog so he can deal with it as he wants. He does provide a stripped down version of his blog somewhere, but I can’t seem to find the link to it. Also, blogs can be read quickly through RSS, so it’s a little more understandable.

Regardless, I need to continue to audit RMX Direct and this blog to make sure we keep working for speed.

• Creating a Top Notch Content Website
• History of Right Media in the New York Times
• Web 2.0 vs Web 1.0 Publishing
• Google Analytics Opens to the Public
• Publisher Success Story: WhateverLife.com

Entry Filed under: Blogging, Publishing